Daniel Frazer - Bklyner

The Sea Mammals Of Gravesend Bay

A grey seal bobs in Gravesend Bay. (Photo by Daniel Frazer/Bensonhurst Bean) Gravesend Bay has a storied history of boat racing [/30853/#.VwKZ4hIrLe0], the lore of great fishing and is home to one of the world’s largest and most iconic suspension bridges- – the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge [/25-facts-verrazano-narrows-bridge/#.VwKiERIrLe0]. However,

Animals

In Defense Of Pigeons: Our Wildlife Expert Daniel Frazer Weighs In

Photo by Daniel FrazerYou’d be hard pressed to walk a street in Brooklyn and not come across a few pigeons. These chunky crumb peckers have become so built into the urban landscape that even those who (misguidedly!) hate them would surely wonder what’s going on if they didn’

Animals

How Prospect Park Lost Its Owls: On the Demise of Eastern-Screech Owls in Prospect Park

Photo via Betty Vlasiu [https://www.flickr.com/photos/bettyvlasiu/22519434503] Had you been walking the winter trails of Prospect Park half of a century ago you, may have heard the peculiar scream of the Eastern-Screech Owl. This small owl has either red or brown plumage with startling yellow eyes

Animals

Visit the Bird-Feeders At Prospect Park

Common Red-Poll. Despite its name, the Common-Red-Poll is a rare visitor to Prospect Park and one that every bird watcher hopes to see at the feeders. (Photo by Daniel Frazer)Maybe you’ve been to the park many times – but did you know there are bird feeders? Every winter, the

Bensonhurst

Brooklyn To Bermuda: The Days Of Seafaring On Gravesend Bay

Photo by Daniel FrazerGravesend Bay was once home to a vibrant, nationally known yacht racing club. During the summer months, yachts would attempt to out sail one another in our local stretch of the Atlantic, with dapper and sea-faring names like “Wanderlust” and “Flamingo.” These races would typically commence as

Bensonhurst

A Century Of Straphanger Stories From The Sea Beach Line

Photo by Mary Bakija/Bensonhurst beanMuch to the discontent of Bensonhurst and Gravesend commuters, the MTA has executed its plan [/major-n-train-renovations-to-begin-on-january-18/] to partially suspend northbound N train service for the next 14 months, requiring instead that you first schlep to Coney Island in order to reach Manhattan. The N line,

Central Brooklyn

How Our Street Names Were Almost Interesting: The History of Local Street Names

Photo by sirsamuelortiz [https://www.instagram.com/sirsamuelortiz/]Do you live on Hiawatha Avenue? Well, you almost did if you live on Avenue H. The street names of Brooklyn are mostly pretty direct numbers and letters; however, had Walter B. Brown, the representative of the Flatbush Board of Trade in

Animals

Your Winter Guide To Birdwatching In Sheepshead Bay

Photo by Daniel FrazerYou’re walking down Emmons Avenue all bundled up, your cheeks are burning red and your breath is mushrooming in front of you. Then you see them, those smug waterfowl, just lounging in the frigid water! Have you ever stopped to see just how many species live

Bensonhurst

Once Upon A Time, Brooklyn College Almost Ended Up In Bensonhurst

Courtesy of Brooklyn College/FacebookWith its sprawling ocean views, the green hills of Staten Island in the distance — the Verrazano Narrows Bridge in its future — the shores of Gravesend Bay would once have made an excellent home for a City University of New York [http://www2.cuny.edu/] (CUNY) campus.

bird-watching

Here’s What You Need To Know About The Millions Of Birds Migrating Through Brooklyn

A black-crowned night heron. (Photo: Daniel Frazer)The sky above us is a veritable highway for birds. Right now, and like every fall and spring for the past several millennia, millions of birds are making their along the Atlantic Flyway [https://www.audubon.org/atlantic-flyway] — a region along the United

environment

Where Can You Find Sheepshead Bay’s Red-Tailed Hawks?

A red-tailed hawk feasting on prey. (Photo: Daniel Frazer / Sheepshead Bites) Recently, I was crossing over the fields to the Marine Park Salt Marsh Nature Center when I noticed a large, beautiful female red-tailed hawk flying oddly low in the sky. At breakneck speeds, she circled tightly around the

architecture

Watching From Above: The Hauntingly Beautiful Gargoyles Of Bensonhurst

School gargoyles. (By Daniel Frazer)The thing that perhaps most distinguishes one Brooklyn neighborhood from another is its unique architecture. Brooklyn, being one of the oldest sections of New York City, is home to a myriad of strange features from our past. Perhaps none are stranger than the many gargoyles

insects

Celebrate Moths During National Moth Week

Female Polyphemus mothDrunk on light, moths gather frantically ’round the lights at night, which you’ve no doubt experienced during the summer on a local porch or stoop. No one is quite sure why moths are so fixated, but regardless, thousands of “mothers” will be taking advantage of this

butterflies

Celebrate Moths During National Moth Week

Female Polyphemus mothDrunk on light, moths gather frantically ’round the lights at night, which you’ve no doubt experienced during the summer on a local porch or stoop. No one is quite sure why moths are so fixated, but regardless, thousands of “mothers” will be taking advantage of this

Science & Technology

Celebrate Moths During National Moth Week

Female Polyphemus mothDrunk on light, moths gather frantically ’round the lights at night, which you’ve no doubt experienced during the summer on a local porch or stoop. No one is quite sure why moths are so fixated, but regardless, thousands of “mothers” will be taking advantage of this

Celebrate Moths During National Moth Week

Female Polyphemus mothDrunk on light, moths gather frantically ’round the lights at night, which you’ve no doubt experienced during the summer on a local stoop or backyard. No one is quite sure why moths are so fixated, but regardless, thousands of “mothers” will be taking advantage of this

Celebrate Moths During National Moth Week

Female Polyphemus mothDrunk on light, moths gather frantically ’round the lights at night, which you’ve no doubt experienced during the summer on a local stoop or backyard. No one is quite sure why moths are so fixated, but regardless, thousands of “mothers” will be taking advantage of this

bats

The Wilds Of Green-Wood Cemetery

Many who live in our area take Green-Wood Cemetery [http://www.green-wood.com/] for granted. But while Green-Wood is still an active cemetery, it has become something of a tourist attraction due to the rich history, lively events programming, and beautiful vistas at Brooklyn’s largest cemetery. But did you

mammals

The Wilds Of Green-Wood Cemetery

Photo by Daniel Frazer/South Slope NewsMany who live in South Slope take Green-Wood Cemetery [http://www.green-wood.com/] for granted. But while Green-Wood is still an active cemetery, it has become something of a tourist attraction due to the rich history, lively events programming, and beautiful vistas at Brooklyn’

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission

Five Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Washington Cemetery

By Daniel FrazerLike much of Bensonhurst, Washington Cemetery straddles the border between the ordinary and the absurd. When first entering the cemetery, which pre-dates the Civil War, you’re surrounded with photo-realistic laser-etched faces on jet-black, smooth stones, which creates an oddly confrontational place of mourning. Add in some garish

swallows

Meet Your Avian Neighbors: Swallows, The Most Fabled Fliers Of Brooklyn

Few birds have evoked as much wonder and respect from cultures around the world as swallows have. In medieval Europe, legend had it that swallows were harbingers of feast — or famine, if they’re not treated well. Native American legend said that the barn swallow brought fire to earth and

dead body

7 Reasons To Fall In Love With Calvert Vaux Park

Calvert Vaux Park (Photo by Rachel Silberstein/Bensonhurst Bean)Calvert Vaux Park has gotten a pretty bad rap lately with the city’s failed revitalization promises [/de-blasio-criticized-for-abandoning-bloomberg-plan-for-calvert-vaux-park/] and an ongoing homicide investigation [/ny-times-explores-mystery-of-the-woman-with-the-monique-tattoo/] after body parts were found [/hand-found-near-shoreline-gravesend-bay/] there. However, so often, instead of embracing and claiming a park

Meet Your Avian Neighbors: Swallows, The Most Fabled Fliers Of Brooklyn

Few birds have evoked as much wonder and respect from cultures around the world as swallows have. In medieval Europe, legend had it that swallows were harbingers of feast — or famine, if they’re not treated well. Native American legend said that the barn swallow brought fire to earth and

Meet Your Avian Neighbors: Swallows, The Most Fabled Fliers Of Brooklyn

Few birds have evoked as much wonder and respect from cultures around the world as swallows have. In medieval Europe, legend had it that swallows were harbingers of feast — or famine, if they’re not treated well. Native American legend said that the barn swallow brought fire to earth and

Meet Your Avian Neighbors: Swallows, The Most Fabled Fliers Of Brooklyn

Few birds have evoked as much wonder and respect from cultures around the world as swallows have. In medieval Europe, legend had it that swallows were harbingers of feast — or famine, if they’re not treated well. Native American legend said that the barn swallow brought fire to earth and